AN ODE OF MY DEATH (Beyond Eulogy)

When my heartbeat fades, and silence claims
Your tears will fall, but were they there when I bore the pains?
A grand funeral procession, a slow mournfully, tearfully and dolefully pace
But where were you when I begged for a helping hand with a keenly gentle face?

In life's darkest hours, I cried out for aid
But your deafness left me shattered, and my soul betrayed
No comforting words, no guiding light
Left to face the shadows, alone in the endless night
I can't hear your emotional hymns and I can't  see your tears because I am deaf and blind to life

Oh, cruel world, where death unlocks your hearts
But in life, my pleas were met with cold, detached parts
You'll eulogize my fleeting days, with hollow praise
But I needed love, care, and warmth in life's desperate ways

A coffin adorned with flowers, a farewell show
A million naira spent on Izon Ebi's musical flow
But what of the tears I shed, the sleepless nights I bore?
Did you care then, or only now, in death's solemn score?

Not now, when my voice is stilled, my choice gone
Why did you wait until my final breath was drawn?
I longed for love, for aid and for care
Not just a dignified farewell, with empty air
Like the folktales of a crocodile tears

You weep for me, but what of those still alive?
Those struggling, crying, begging to survive?
Their heart beat with mine, their tears falling like rain that doesn't touch the ground
Do you hear their pleas, or only mourn the dead in vain?

Ouseibai Bright Ebi
30th/10/2024